';
Policy Areas

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

An announcement was issued today regarding the Bureau Director for the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) for the Department of Human Services (DHS). The current Bureau Director, Jeanne Parisi, has accepted the Deputy Secretary position for Quality Assurance at the Department of Health, effective March 20, 2023. Brian MacDaid has been appointed Acting Bureau Director, also effective March 20, 2023. Brian has worked for the Commonwealth in DHS for the past 22 years and currently works for the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) in the Bureau of Quality Assurance and Program Analytics as the Director of the Quality Assurance Division.

IPRC Webinar Transition Readiness: Strategies to Prepare Pediatric Patients and Their Families for the Next Steps
Thursday, April 6, 2023
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MDT; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PDT
REGISTER

Speakers and Panelists:
Carrie Cuomo, DNP, CPNP
Julie H. Corder, RN, MSN, CNP
Tim Flynn, PT
Kara M. Pickering, MA, CCC-SLP

Speaker Bios:

Carrie Cuomo
Carrie Cuomo, DNP, CPNP, is the Director of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse services in the Pediatric Institute at Cleveland Clinic. She is a clinical provider in the Department of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Cuomo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University, a Master’s Degree from The University of Akron, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from The University of Akron. She has experience in teaching, nursing leadership, and clinical practice. She was a fellow in the Duke Johnson and Johnson Nurse Leadership program 2014–2015 and 2020–2021. Dr. Cuomo is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurses Practitioners and Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses. She is a Co-Investigator on the Project IMPACTT grant sponsored by HRSA. She serves on the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Council and the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Preceptor Council. Dr. Cuomo’s professional interests are in the area of pediatric to adult transition.

Julie H. Corder
Julie H. Corder is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in the Pediatric Complex Care Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic. This multidisciplinary program cares for pediatric patients with multiple chronic conditions with a dependence on technology. A primary interest and passion for Julie is developing processes to ensure high level care for this population throughout their lifespan as they transition from pediatric to adult care. Julie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from The University of Akron, a Master’s Degree in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University, and was a fellow in the Duke Johnson and Johnson Nurse Leadership program from 2020–2021. Julie is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurses Practitioners. She is a Co-Investigator on the Project IMPACTT grant sponsored by HRSA. She serves on the Advanced Practice Credentialing and Privileging Committee for the Cleveland Clinic.

Objectives:
At the end of this session, the learner will:

  • Define the (6) core elements of transition and review how they can be incorporated into practice;
  • Identify tools available to assist providers and examine ways to incorporate them into clinical workflow;
  • Explore one organization’s process to enhance care and assist with the transition of care for young adults to adult providers; and
  • Discuss tools to utilize with clients and families to support transition of services.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all members of the rehabilitation team, including medical staff, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, licensed psychologists, mental health professionals, and other interested professionals.

Level: Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Registration: Registration is complimentary for members of IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today. Multiple registrations per organization are permitted.

REGISTER

ODP Announcement 23-027 announces that the Residential Habilitation (Life Sharing) Ineligible Rate will be removed from the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) effective July 1, 2023. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is continuing to align the AAW with the other ODP waivers. This alignment includes the removal of procedure code W7234. This procedure code will be removed from HCSIS, and providers will be unable to bill this procedure code within PROMISe for dates of service on and after July 1, 2023.

For questions, please contact the appropriate ODP Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) Regional Office.

assistance, support, guidance - business concept words in color hexagons over blue background, flat design

ODP Announcement 23-026 announces the release of a new Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) Provider Resource Guide. The guide is available online.

Providers are responsible for compliance with all applicable regulations and requirements of the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) services, as well as local, state, and federal regulations and laws applicable to the services provided.

The guide is designed as an online-only document with links to pertinent regulations, bulletins, communications, forms, websites, and other materials necessary to support AAW providers in the quality provision of services. The online format will allow ODP to update the guide in a timely manner as needed.

Please contact your ODP Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) regional office with any questions.

Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

RCPA is pleased to announce the addition of a new Policy Analyst serving the IDD Division. Cathy Barrick will begin supporting members and the IDD Division Director, Carol Ferenz, this month. Cathy spent 15 years as Director of Practice Management in an outpatient rehab facility, followed by 6 years’ worth of experience as Administrative Support Manager at The Arc of Cumberland/Perry Counties (CPARC).

Her extensive experience includes human resources, policy development, management, accounting, contract negotiations, provider qualifications, and quality management team membership. Cathy served as a Certified Investigator for the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) mandated reportable incidents, oversaw Incident Management roles, and led a Peer Review team. She also completed waiver renewal and Department of Human Services (DHS) benefit applications.

Please feel free to reach out to Cathy with any issues related to IDD services, as well as to welcome her to the RCPA team.

Photo by Leon on Unsplash

The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services (NASDDDS) is pleased to share this announcement from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) with our members. As you know, NASDDDS, along with NASMHPD, NADD, and other key partners, was awarded a five-year grant from ACL for a technical assistance and resource center to improve supports for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who also have mental health conditions.

An important part of this grant is that its work will be guided by a steering committee comprised entirely of individuals with living experience. We are excited to announce the open recruitment for Steering Committee members. The center is looking for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who have mental health conditions and want to share their experiences. We are hoping to identify potential candidates from many different backgrounds with many different perspectives, so we hope that you will share this opportunity within your state.

The steering committee of 12 people will meet 4 times per year. Steering committee members and, if needed, their support staff will be paid to participate in this project.

A recruitment explainer video by NASDDDS partner Green Mountain Self-Advocates is posted on the NASDDDS YouTube channel. The three-minute video includes open captions and American Sign Language interpretation.

We are asking individuals to contact us if they are interested by March 17, 2023. More information can be found here. Thank you in advance for sharing this with your partners!